U. Iowa investigating cheating among online students

Online proctoring service flagged potential cheating due to identification discrepancies

Safeguards in place to prevent cheating among University of Iowa online students recently detected “potential irregularities” during an exam, prompting the institution to launch an academic misconduct investigation.

The revelations came after ProctorU, a national proctoring service that the university partners with to provide identity verification for several online courses, alerted UI officials that at least 30 students enrolled in online courses might have tried to cheat by having other people take their tests.

The proctoring service flagged potential instances of cheating through discrepancies in identification provided by test-takers in one or more exams and — in some cases — in multiple courses. A statement provided by UI spokeswoman Jeneane Beck says the institution is reviewing each case and will determine appropriate next steps.

“The university takes the issue very seriously and is reviewing the matter carefully,” Beck said. “If it is determined a student has cheated, the university will take appropriate disciplinary action.”

(Next page: How ProctorU works with universities to prevent online cheating)